The Eye of Drakonus
by Meee
Summary: Draco centric story. The truth comes out about Erin. Chapter 5! (formerly Ovardus)
1. Erin

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic. This is also a Draco centric story, but there are some parts w/ the Boy Who Freaking Lived, and his little gang. Heh, I'm kind of mad at the HP movie people. They took my dear sweet Oliver Wood out of the 3rd movie, so I'm focusing on Draco now. If you want to offer some constructive criticism, feel free, but flames just piss me off. And I'm on the lookout for a beta.....  
  
There's a lot of innuendo in the story and some swearing, so tell me if I should change the rating. I don't think I'll have too, though. I could be wrong. You never know. Well, sometimes you do. ANYWAY, these- [ and ] mean they are a thought. So, for example, if Draco was thinking Whoa, you would see [Whoa.] Got it? Is there Winterfresh gum in England? You'll understand once you read it, I'm not completely off topic...  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, right. If I owned Harry Potter, I sure as hell wouldn't be wasting my time here. No offence :-)  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
Draco Malfoy sat and stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. Crabbe and Goyle, his 'friends', were sitting across from him, each holding massive amounts of sweets in their hands.  
  
"You want some?" Crabbe said, extending a package of Chocolate Frogs. Actually, it came out more like "Oo wa um?" because his mouth was filled with candy. Draco sneered at the Moron twins, then turned back to the window. The train had just started moving, and he was already lost in his thoughts.  
  
He was quickly brought away from them, however, when the door to the compartment opened. Draco was just about to give some snide remark when he heard a voice he didn't recognize.  
  
"Uh, hi. Can I sit with you guys? The rest are full." Draco turned around to see a young woman, blonde hair falling down her shoulders, standing at the door. And she wasn't in school robes. Her red sleeveless turtleneck was tight, and her jeans were tighter. She looked a little frazzled. The thing that puzzled him most, however, was her voice- she had an American accent.  
  
"Crabbe, Goyle. Sod off." He said, standing up. They started to protest, but Draco shot them a glare that would have frozen magma. They got up, taking their candy with them.  
  
"I'm sorry-those two are dolts," he said. He moved quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her close. He put an arm around her waist and their faces were inches from each other. She raised an eyebrow, then stepped back a hair. They were still close, and Draco could smell her mint shampoo.  
  
"Slow down, hot rod. Do you have a name?"  
  
"You can call me anything you want." Draco said, giving a small smirk.  
  
She stepped closer, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Oh, I know. But I just don't think it'd be appropriate walking around school calling you Stallion, now would it?"  
  
Draco's mouth dropped open upon hearing these words. But soon his lips formed that winning smile of his. He stepped back again, and said, "Draco, Draco Malfoy."  
  
"Draco, huh? That's my brother's name." She answered, sitting down on the seat. He took the place next to her.  
  
"Is it now?"  
  
"Nope." She smiled at his furrowed brow. "I don't have a brother. I have a sister."  
  
"Uh...ok. So, what's your name, or should I just call you vixen from now on?" he said, getting back in the game.  
  
She let out a small laugh and replied, "I'm Erin Jones. And I'm not lying this time."  
  
"So, where are you from, Erin Jones? I can tell you're not from around here," he said, referring to her accent.  
  
"I'm not, am I?" She said, this time with a perfect British accent.  
  
[OK, now I'm really confused.] Draco thought. "Oh. So you ARE from-" he was cut off by her snicker.  
  
"You're gullible. I like that."  
  
"I'm not usually," he said, confused again. This was killing him. He was being out-done by a girl he was trying to bed. [What the hell is wrong with me?] "So, Miss-Confuse-The-Shit-Out-of-Me," she laughed, "Where are you from?"  
  
"Los Angeles, California. I'm an exchange student, of sorts."  
  
"Oh, so you're the little surprise my father was talking about." He supposed, finally understanding.  
  
"You've heard about me, have you?" She replied, scooting closer. Their faces were once again centimeters close to each other.  
  
"Only by eavesdropping. I heard him talking to one of his friends. He didn't say anything in particular," he said, looking deep into her blue eyes with his silver-gray ones.  
  
"Good. I want you to find out for yourself." She whispered in his ear before pulling away once again. And again, his mouth was left agape.  
  
"So, Mr. Draco Malfoy. Tell me about yourself." Erin swung her long legs over his, and wrapped her arms around his neck. [This is fun,] she thought.  
  
"Well, um..." he began. [Pull yourself together, man!] "I'm a Slytherin. And I'm, uh..." He paused as he noticed that his hand was resting on her thighs. He could've sworn his blood pressure spiked right then and there.  
  
"Yes?" She whispered, well, more purred into his ear.  
  
"I'm a seeker." He finally got it out. [This is not good, man. Turn that Malfoy charm on, will you?]  
  
She sat back a little and he felt his temperature lower. "Really? I was a chaser back home. You on the lookout for one?"  
  
[Hey, what happened to the sexiness?] "I'm always on the lookout for," he paused and looked her over, "Talent. You want to be a Slytherin?"  
  
"You're one, aren't you?" He nodded. "Then sure."  
  
He smirked, then leaned in to kiss her. Surprising him, she pulled away and put her finger to his lips. "Uh-uh. Not now."  
  
Draco looked hurt and confused again. "Uh...ok. So, uh, Erin, tell me about yourself."  
  
She sat back like a normal person now. It was her turn to look nervous. "Me? Oh, I'm nothing special."  
  
"Nothing special my ass. Spill it, vixen."  
  
"Uh, alright. I grew up in LA...um, I would hang out with everyone I could. Guess you could say I'm a people person." She thought she heard Draco mutter something about, 'No shit', but wasn't sure.  
  
"C'mon now, you must have some deep, dark secret." He said it as a joke, but Erin stared blankly straight into his eyes. But as soon as the grin had left her face, it was back again.  
  
"You've found me out, Draco. I...I.... I love peas!" She cried out, putting her head in her hands in a fake sob. The two laughed at this 'confession', but were stopped when a young man of 18 slid open the compartment door. He had emerald green eyes and messy hair.  
  
"What do you want, Potter?" Draco sneered.  
  
"I heard a yell...I came to see what it was, Ferretboy." He retorted. But his eyes were brought away from Draco's gray eyes to the girl sitting next to him.  
  
"Always have to be the hero, don't you, Potter?" Draco spit out his name like it was an earwax flavored jelly bean.  
  
Harry ignored this comment. "Who are you?" he asked, dumbstruck for a moment.  
  
"Erin Jones. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand and he shook it.  
  
"If you're done, Potter?" Harry turned away and walked back to the compartment where Ron and Hermione sat.  
  
"Well? Malfoy torturing another innocent life?" Ron asked when Harry stepped back in.  
  
"Surprisingly, no. They were laughing when I came in."  
  
"They? Malfoy doesn't laugh with Crabbe and Goyle."  
  
"No, there was a girl in there. Erin Jones..." he trailed off, thinking about her. "She had blonde hair...and I think she's an American." He stated.  
  
Ron and Hermione both looked surprised until she spoke up. "Well, whatever, we'll meet her when we get back to school."  
  
Back in Draco's compartment, Erin popped a stick of gum in her mouth. And then another.  
  
"You sure like Winterfresh, don't you?" Draco said as she popped a third and forth piece into her mouth.  
  
"One just isn't enough. The flavor lasts longer this way. You want a piece?" She extended the pack of blue gum to him. He waved it off.  
  
"So, what's it like in America? I've never been there."  
  
"It's really great. But it's really not that much different from England, except here you have history coming out your ears." They both laughed and continued their conversation until the train stopped. The pair stepped off the train, and Draco was about to lead Erin to one of the horseless carriages when he heard her name being called by Professor Snape.  
  
"I have to go, Draco. I'll see you up at the castle." Erin let go of the hand she was holding and pushed her way though to Snape.  
  
Draco shrugged and got into a carriage. As soon as he sat down, to his extreme displeasure, Crabbe and Goyle entered. And to top it all off, Pansy Parkinson came in and sat on Draco's lap. He groaned, then pushed her onto the floor.  
  
"Hey! What was that for, sweetie?" She asked as she pushed up from the floor.  
  
"Leave me alone, Pansy."  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~ `~`~`~`  
  
Up at the castle, the students filed in. Draco took a seat across from Crabbe, and next to Goyle. He was trying to avoid Pansy the pug, but it was impossible. She was like a leach. She sat down beside the disgusted Draco and tried to snuggle up. This was prevented, however, by Draco putting his foot on the seat next to him.  
  
"If I may have your attention, please," Professor Dumbledore said, standing up at the head table.  
  
"I wish to welcome you all to Hogwarts this year. I would like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden, hence the name. And I have a special treat this year. I have decided to take in an exchange student this year, from America. She comes from the Los Angeles School for The Gifted, and is a very talented witch. I would like you all to welcome Erin Jones to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, pointing toward the young woman standing at the end of the table. She waved and smiled at the immense load of people staring at her.  
  
"Because she will be spending the rest of the year with us, she must be sorted. Professor McGonnagall, if you please?" McGonnagall nodded and pulled out the Sorting Hat. It sang its little song, and then fell quiet as the school clapped and cheered.  
  
"Erin, come put on the hat now." Erin moved towards the stool, an extremely tense look on her face. She sat down, and the older woman put the hat on her head.  
  
Draco was waiting anxiously for the hat to spit out its answer. After what seemed an eternity, the hat opened at the stitches. "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted in applause. Draco just sat stunned. The foot he had been using to save her seat fell to the ground, and Pansy scooted on over again and begun stroking his hair. He smacked her hand away. Erin seemed a little upset as well, seeing that she wasn't put in his house.  
  
"The girl that was flirting with Malfoy is going to be in OUR house?" Ron said, upset. Harry didn't answer, which was owing to the fact he was staring intently at the blonde walking toward their table. He watched as she mouthed 'Sorry' to Draco, then immediately felt his face flush when she walked up to him.  
  
"Hi. Can I sit here?" Harry scooted over and she sat down. "Well, you know who I am, who are you?" She asked, confident as ever. Introductions went around.  
  
When she came to Ron, instead of saying his name, he yelled, "So, what were you doing with Malfoy in the compartment, eh? I'll have you know he's bedded every single girl in his house."  
  
She looked stunned at his response. And the rest of the people sitting around were, too, seeing as they didn't say a word.  
  
Slowly she began. "Well, I can see why they would have done that. Trust me; I have no intention of sleeping with Draco, not yet at least. And, so you know, that is none of your damn business. Pass the salt, will ya, Hermione?" She changed tones in the blink of an eye. Hermione passed it to her, and then turned to stare at Ron.  
  
He sat with a surprised look on his face, and then began to quietly eat his mashed potatoes.  
  
Back at the Slytherin table, Draco dug into his food, but didn't eat anything. "What's the matter, Drakey? You haven't touched your food," Pansy said, stroking his blonde hair. He had stopped gelling it, and it now hung loose by his ear.  
  
"Sod off Parkinson." He grabbed a roll and pushed away from the table. Stalking off, he kept his eyes on Erin, who was laughing with his arch nemesis.  
  
Erin turned, still laughing, to see Draco angrily leaving the Great Hall. He was the first to leave. She stopped giggling and followed him out.  
  
"Draco! Draco, wait up!" She called after him, catching the 6' 2" young man as he started up the steps. "What's with the disappearing act?" Erin rested her hand on his, which was poised on the stone railing.  
  
"I'm....just a little upset. You've been sorted into the house of my worst enemies."  
  
"Enemies? You're 17 years old, how the hell could you have enemies?" She asked, taken aback at his 'reason'.  
  
"Potter and Weasley have been my rivals since 1st year. I tried to help Potter out, and he went and threw it in my face." Draco sighed and sat on the first step. Erin sat down next to him and started rubbing his back. His head was in his hands.  
  
"And Weasley hates me because of my family name. I've tried to be nicer lately, but they don't want to hear it."  
  
"I'm sorry, Draco. But I have to make the best of what I've got. Hermione told me that most of our classes are together. There's no sense in being at odds with the people you have to spend the year with. And if it makes you feel any better, Ron thinks you're trying to bed me. He seems to hate me for that."  
  
"He does, does he? I never thought him to be that smart." Draco turned his face up to the young blonde and smirked at her stunned expression.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, are you trying to seduce me?"  
  
"Depends. Is it working?" She nodded. "Then of course I am. No one can resist the Malfoy charm."  
  
Draco slowly leaned in to kiss her. And this time she seemed like she was going to go along with it, until Harry, Ron and Hermione exited the Great Hall and Ron exclaimed, "I KNEW IT!"  
  
The two quickly split apart. [Dammit. So close.] Draco thought. Erin, however, scoffed. "You knew what, Ron? Huh? WHAT?" She yelled at him, causing the 4 other people's eyes to go wide. Ron, on the other hand, was ready.  
  
"I knew you and Malfoy were doing something! Watch, next thing you know you'll be in his bed."  
  
"Shut up, will you! Contrary to what you may think, not everyone from the U.S. is a whore. I don't go around sleeping with the first person I see. So do me a favor and stay the HELL away from me," Erin screamed back. She grabbed Draco's hand and stomped up the stairs until they got to the second floor. Downstairs, Ron stood fuming as Harry and Hermione tried to hush down the crowds standing outside the hall, who had just witnessed the entire scene.  
  
"Whoa," Draco said, once Erin stopped moving. She sat down on the step and flopped back onto the granite. "That was...amazing."  
  
"Where's your dorm, Draco? I don't think I can show my face in the Gryffindor common room for at least a day."  
  
"I'll be forced to agree with that. Come with me." He led her down another flight of steps and down to the dungeons. "Fizzing Whizbees." The portrait opened and Draco and Erin stepped inside.  
  
"Fizzing Whizbees?"  
  
"Something that no one would guess would be our password. Come one, I'll show you my room."  
  
The 4 poster bed that was his was covered in forest green sheets. His pillow was silver, and his trunk was perched at the end of the bed.  
  
"It's wonderful. I love it." Erin collapsed on his bed. "And so soft." Draco smirked and sat next to her.  
  
"Glad you like it. But it is MY bed." He smiled a genuine smile and stroked the back of her hand. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess. It's, just, back home we were judged on who we hung out with, not who we were. I thought it would be different here. I guess I was wrong. I bet I've successfully got the entire Gryffindor tower in an uproar." She sniffled, then sat up to face the young man staring back at her. "Tell me you're different, Draco. Please."  
  
He grinned, then attempted to kiss her again. This time they weren't interrupted, and their lips met and held for a few seconds. They separated, and both smiled at each other. Draco fell back onto the bed, and Erin cuddled up to his chest. She smiled and they fell asleep, their breathing synchronized.  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
Well? What do you think? Its long, for my standards....8 whole pages! Please R&R! 


	2. Laughter and Potions

Here I am again...hope you liked the first chapter. There's more Draco angst in this one. I don't know about the whole time zone issue, so I'm making them so it fits my story.  
  
To LJ Brown- Thanks for your input. I didn't think the POV change was a problem, considering this was supposed to be told as 3rd person omniscient.  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, right.  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
When Draco woke up, Erin was lazily drawing circles on his chest. "Hey. That tickles." He grabbed her hands and stopped the movement.  
  
"It does, does it?" Erin raised and eyebrow, then wrenched her hands free. She began tickling Draco's chest and ribs. He was laughing so hard that they both rolled to the floor. As they thunked hard onto the ground, the dormitory doom swung open.  
  
"DRAKEY! Are you o-" Pansy stopped as she saw Erin sitting on top of Draco, her hands on his chest. His strong hands were on Erin's hips. This was a rather compromising position.  
  
"Pansy, will you go away! This is the boy's dormitory, not the girls!" Draco shouted, and then sat up. Erin fell to her butt, and her knees were now in the air. With the blonde man now sitting up, this looked even worse than the first time. Pansy stormed out of the room in a huff.  
  
"Who is that?" Erin asked, getting up to her knees.  
  
"Pansy Parkinson. She's been madly in love with me since 1st year," Draco replied, disgusted at the thought. "Weasley was wrong, you know. I haven't slept with every girl in Slytherin house. They're all foul little brats."  
  
"I figured he was exaggerating." She stood and helped him to his feet. "I don't think you've slept with any girls in your house."  
  
"Are you implying that I'm a virgin?" He asked, and then sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Is there something wrong with being a virgin, Draco? Because if there is, there is something wrong with me."  
  
[Do my ears deceive me, or did she just tell me she was a virgin?] "No, of course not. It's better than being some ho that runs around wanting to have sex with every guy she sees."  
  
"I'll definatly have to agree with that." Erin checked her watch. "Wait a minute. This can't be right- my watch says it's 3 o'clock." He moved over and checked her watch against his.  
  
"I think yours is still set for your time zone. It's 11 by mine." Draco quickly adjusted her watch to the right time.  
  
"Draco, I think I should get back to Gryffindor tower. I don't want to let Ron think he was right."  
  
They laughed. "I guess you should. But, wait. You need a password." Draco pointed out. Erin sat next to him on the bed and tried to think.  
  
"I know! I'll show you the library."  
  
"The library? Sweet thought, but I don't think I'll find the password there."  
  
"No, no. Granger is a bookworm. She'll be in the library. You can ask her." Erin smiled at him and he led her off. In the Slytherin common room, she got some rude stares, especially from the girls.  
  
She just brushed them off, and before they exited the room, Erin pulled Draco to a stop. She quickly drew Draco into a long, deep kiss. Gasps were heard throughout the common room.  
  
"Whoa. What was that for?" Draco asked, out of breath.  
  
"For being you." She smiled and left the area content. He just laughed and took her hand before leading her into the library.  
  
"I told you she would be here," he said, before pointing out Hermione. She was collecting her books and was getting ready to leave.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Erin! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Looking for you, actually. As you might remember, I kind of left the Great Hall in a rush earlier. And I kinda didn't get the password to the tower. In fact, I don't even know where it is."  
  
"Oh. Well, follow me, then." Hermione grabbed her bag and led Erin through the halls. Draco was going to go, but the blonde grabbed his hand and dragged him along. "So, what exactly have you been doing tonight?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much. Just getting a feel for the grounds." Hermione nodded and stopped in front of a portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.  
  
"Hogsmeade's Butterbeer." The portrait swung open, but before the two girls could step in, Ron had stepped out.  
  
"Hermione! I've been looking all over for you. You said you would only be gone for an hour."  
  
"And I was only gone for an hour. Calm down, sweetheart." Erin cringed at the thought that anyone would call Ron sweetheart besides his mother. Hermione grasped Ron's hand. Before she could enter, however, Ron noticed Erin observing the two.  
  
"What? You got a problem with me having a girlfriend?"  
  
"No, of course not. As long as you don't have a problem with me having a boyfriend. Truce?" She extended her hand. Slowly Ron shook it.  
  
"Truce." Erin smiled, then pulled Draco out of the shadows.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning, Draco." She pulled him into a slower but more passionate kiss. Ron got a disgusted look on his face, but shrugged it off. He and Hermione walked into their common room, Erin and Draco still entwined outside the door.  
  
"I can't wait." Draco smiled, then quickly pecked her lips once more before heading back to his house.  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
The next morning Draco practically jumped out of bed. He quickly dressed, listening to the snores of his housemates. He went down to the Great Hall early, as usual.  
  
Draco didn't like having a lot of other people around when he ate. He preferred to drink his coffee and eat whatever was for breakfast in silence. It was his time to think, to reflect on his thoughts.  
  
He also took the time to imagine what his life would be like is Lucius wasn't his father. He imagined a happier time, where his mother wasn't always sad. Of course, those dreams would never come true. His father was a manipulative little bastard, and that would never change.  
  
Draco sighed, then started adding sugar to his coffee. Then he laughed. Most people would never expect him to add something to it. Whenever he would ask someone for coffee, they would reply, "Black, right?" He would just smirk slightly, depressed that they thought of him as a tough-as-nails kind of guy, who could take anything without feeling whatsoever.  
  
To his joy, Erin walked into the Great Hall. She had been talking with Lavender Brown. She waved to Draco, then went to go sit with him. "Hey you."  
  
"Hey. Did you sleep well?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. I'm nervous," Erin replied, then grabbed his coffee cup and brought it to her lips. "Mmmm....Chocolate Mocha. How much sugar did you put in this, Draco?" She furrowed her brow at the sugar bowl sitting by his plate. It was about half full. "Funny, I always pictured you as a-"  
  
"Black-coffee guy, right?" Draco finished for her, disappointed.  
  
"Actually, I was going to say creamer kind of guy." She raised an eyebrow before taking another sip of his Mocha.  
  
"That is mine, you know." Draco took the cup from her hands, and raised it to his mouth. But it dropped open when he saw that the mug was drained. Erin sat next to him, eating his toast. When he turned to look at her, she threw down the piece of bread and tried to look innocent. Of course, her look was ruined by the crumbs around her mouth and chocolate on her lips.  
  
"What?" She said, her mouth full of toast. But instead of saying something, Draco burst out laughing. When Erin had said, 'What', tiny bits of toast came flying out of her mouth. She was soon giggling, right after she swallowed what was left in her jaws.  
  
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered, they all had similar expressions on their face. "Every time I walk in on them, they're laughing," Harry commented. Hermione nodded. She was puzzled at how this girl, so new and different, could make friends with Malfoy in only a short period of time. She'd never seen him laugh before, unless it was a cruel snicker when something bad happened to a Gryffindor.  
  
As Draco wiped his eyes, he could see Erin holding her stomach. He knew hers hurt just like his, that wonderful pain after you've been laughing too long.  
  
They both sighed, at the exact same time. But before they could fall into fits of giggles again, Erin heard her name being called from the Gryffindor table. She got up and said goodbye to Draco. He waved back, still feeling the aftershocks of laughter, but stopped abruptly when he saw Pansy Parkinson. He turned back to his plate, which had been refilled with food, and his coffee mug replenished.  
  
Pansy took a seat next to him and started asking questions. "So. What happened with you and that filthy American?"  
  
Draco sneered. "That's none of your business, Pansy."  
  
She smiled, seemingly content. She then peered into his coffee cup. "Black, huh, Drakey? I know it's your favorite."  
  
A schedule suddenly appeared before the miserable blonde. He picked it up and read it over. When Pansy tried to read over his shoulder, he stood up. "Sod off, Pansy." Draco left the Great Hall and went back up to his house.  
  
Over at the Gryffindor table, Harry was questioning Erin. He hadn't been filled in with the details of the night before. "So, Erin. Where did you go last night?" He asked, apprehensively. He didn't want to get an answer with any word like 'Draco' in it.  
  
"Oh, Draco was showing me around the grounds." Erin glanced down at the table, and was surprised to find a piece of parchment between her elbows. She picked it up and read the title. "Class Schedule."  
  
"Finally! I've been so excited to see what I'll get!" Hermione exclaimed and picked up the paper.  
  
"Double potions with Slytherin AGAIN? Is there a god?" Ron asked, looking towards the enchanted ceiling.  
  
"What's wrong with Slytherins?" Erin asked.  
  
"Well, Malfoy's a Slytherin, for one."  
  
"You guys should give him a chance. He says he's tried to be nicer, but you've ignored him. He's better than you think." Both Harry and Ron snorted at this.  
  
"Are you sure we're talking about the same person here? Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"Positive. Seriously. He's got a heart, too."  
  
"Yeah, ok." Ron replied. Under his breath, so the only one who could hear him was Harry, he said, "A heart of stone." Harry snickered.  
  
Erin stood up. "I'm going to go get ready. See you guys there."  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
When Draco entered Professor Snape's classroom, Erin was talking to the Professor. They were quietly whispering by the teacher's desk. Draco decided to leave them alone and set his cauldron down on a table. The rest of the class quickly filled in, but Erin and the Professor still were discussing something.  
  
"But why not?" Draco heard Erin almost yell out. Snape promptly hushed her and finished the conversation. She sat down next to Draco in a huff.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." She said it in a tone that told Draco she didn't want to discuss it, so he left it alone.  
  
"Class, welcome back. Today we will be making a very complicated potion, so I want you to pair up. I'm feeling gracious today, so I'll let you do it yourselves." The class immediately began to shift. Harry and Ron moved next to each other, and Hermione scooted toward Neville, who had a grateful look on his face. The only two people that didn't move were Erin and Draco. They stayed exactly where they were.  
  
Professor Snape began writing ingredients on the board. Draco collected them and sat back down. Erin had already began making them potion at great speed.  
  
"Now, I will be right back. I trust that you won't blow anything up with I'm gone." Snape looked directly at Neville when he said this. He swept out of the room and Neville gulped.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting behind Draco and Erin. Hermione was amazed at how quickly Erin was putting the potion together. She had already put it to simmer, which was the 10th step. Draco was left a bystander.  
  
"Draco, will you hand me the boomslang skin?" Erin asked, holding out her hand as she stirred the contents of the pot. He did so.  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. And then did the same with Harry. "Oh yeah." Harry agreed under his breath. Ron held up his fingers, and counted down from 3. '3, 2, 1'  
  
The 3 friends all cough/yelled "WHIPPED" out at the same time. As the class burst into laughter, Draco shot them a dirty look.  
  
"Shut up, Potthead, Weasel, Mudblood!" To his surprise, he felt a sharp pain on the side of his face. His hand shot up to his cheek and he exclaimed, "OW!" He turned to see Erin, with her hands on her hips, glaring at Draco. And trust me, it was a good glare. "What the hell?"  
  
"Don't ever, EVER say that again, Draco."  
  
"What? You're pureblooded!" Draco was now outraged that this girl had slapped him.  
  
"God, Draco! Can't you see blood doesn't matter? Hermione's a better witch than anyone in here," this brought some shouts of protest from other students, but they were ignored. "And yet you call her a mudblood like she's nothing. That's how wars are started. Ignorant people like you, throwing nasty words around at people who don't deserve it. So DON'T say it again, or next time it'll be a shrinking potion down your pants!"  
  
The class fell silent after this outburst. His face turned white at the threat. After a minute, Draco spoke up. "I'm sorry, Erin."  
  
"Don't apologize to me; apologize to Hermione." Erin sat back in her chair and watched the potion bubble and bubble.(Toil and Trouble. HA! I kill me.) Hermione raised her eyebrows expectantly, a small smile forming on her lips.  
  
[Damn that girl.] He knew he would never be able to talk to Erin again if he didn't ask for forgiveness. But from Hermione? "Sorry, Granger." Draco said it like he meant it.  
  
"Apology accepted, Malfoy." Ron and Harry snickered at Draco's red face. It was like that not only from embarrassment but from the handprint of Erin's slender fingers. Draco shot them that glare again, the one that would freeze magma.  
  
His defiant stare was interrupted by Professor Snape entering the room again.  
  
"Well, I see we've all survived that short period of time. Now, everyone move their cauldrons to the storeroom. It's time for notes."  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
Well? How's my second chappy? What do you think? It's shorter than the first one....but I think just as good. I especially like the shrinking potion threat. Please R&R! 


	3. Quidditch and Chocolate Frogs

*sniff* No new reviews? *bursts out crying* YOU DON'T LOVE ME!! But alas, my muse isn't done yet. *pouts* Yes, I know, I should use the metric system. But hey, I'm American. Whatcha gonna do about it?  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, right.  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
"Hey, Harry?"  
  
"What's up, Erin?"  
  
Erin moved across the common room and sat in the chair opposite Harry. "You're the captain of the Quidditch team, right?" He nodded. "Do you have a need for a chaser?"  
  
"You play Quidditch?" Harry asked, setting down his parchment.  
  
"Yep. I have a Thunderbolt." She replied. A Thunderbolt was the newest broom from the people that made the Firebolt. It was said to be the fastest racing broom ever, and the most expensive.  
  
"Are you serious? I have one on order. Is it as good as they say it is?"  
  
"Better. It's amazing. It goes so fast, I would've fallen off had it not been for the primo-seat. Now, back to my question, please."  
  
"Oh, right. Actually, we are looking for a chaser. How 'bout you come to the pitch Thursday evening, 7 o'clock. That's when our first practice is scheduled."  
  
"I can't wait." Erin smiled and skipped upstairs to the Girl's dorm.  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
"Hey, you're early," Harry called to Erin as he walked onto the field. She had been running her hands over the black shaft of her Thunderbolt, and was examining the straw.  
  
"I was restless. Where is everyone else?"  
  
"Well, Ron should be here soon. He had to finish eating." Harry answered. He mounted his broom and pushed off to the sky. Soon after, Erin joined him.  
  
In mid-air, she said, "So, you're a seeker, huh? My eyes aren't good enough to be one."  
  
"I think you could make up for it with your broom. Wanna race?" Harry got a mischievous grin on his face. Erin raised her eyebrows before looking over his broom. It was a Firebolt 200. It was a great broom, but it was kindling against hers.  
  
"You're on." She waved her hand out in front. "Go ahead. You'll need a head start." Harry scoffed, but took the opportunity. She counted to 5, then zoomed after him, hair blowing in the wind.  
  
As Harry rounded the first corner, he heard Erin call from behind him. "I'm getting close, Harry! Better speed it up!" This light taunting did make him speed up. But alas, Erin soon pulled ahead of him. After 2 laps around the pitch, Harry lowered himself to the ground to meet Ron. He was breathing was labored and his muscles were tense from pushing his broom as hard as he could.  
  
Erin lowered herself down and collapsed on the ground. "Wow, Harry. I've never met anyone that good. You're amazing." She smiled up at him as he greeted Ron.  
  
"What exactly were you two doing before I came? Because you're hot, sweaty and tired. This isn't looking good Harry. Ginny will be heartbroken!" Ron said.  
  
"Oh yeah, Ron. We were totally doing it on our 2 inch wide pieces of wood 60 feet in the air," Erin replied, sarcastically. [Hey, that wouldn't be too bad,] thought Harry. [WAIT! Bad, no. She likes Malfoy. Ferretboy.]  
  
"Cool it, Ron. We were racing. Erin's got a Thunderbolt."  
  
"Are you serious? Wow....I've heard that it can go up to a hundred kilometers an hour." Ron reached out to touch the ebony shaft.  
  
"Yeah, I heard that too. I think my father would kill me, though, if he knew I took it up to those speeds." Erin proudly showed off her broom to the rest of the team, who were making their way down to the center of the field.  
  
"Shall we?" Harry asked, and practice began.  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
Wouldn't you know it; the first match of the year was against Slytherin.  
  
"Hey Draco. How ya feeling?" Erin sat next to him and took a sip of his Mocha. "Mmm....loads of sugar, as always."  
  
"Do you get off on drinking my coffee or something?" Draco asked, an agitated tone to his voice. He snatched it back from her and drained the warm brown liquid in the mug.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Erin asked, offended.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little anxious for the match to start. I'm kind of torn, you know?"  
  
"Actually, no. Enlighten me."  
  
"Well, I want to win. But it's your first game at Hogwarts. I want you to win, too." He looked into her blue eyes with his blue-gray ones.  
  
"Aw, that's so sweet, Draco. But it's quite alright. I've won plenty of games back home. It's alright if we don't win this one. Harry told me Slytherin is our biggest competitor. I'm sure whoever wins will deserve it." Erin rubbed his back. Draco tipped her chin up and kissed her softly.  
  
"Good luck." Draco said, as Erin got up. She clicked her teeth and did a little gun shooty-thing at him before walking over to the Gryffindor table. (A/N: Do you know what I'm talking about?)  
  
Before he knew it, Draco was dressed in his green and silver robes and riding out onto the field. He had a Thunderbolt, and was pleased to see the only other person to have one was Erin. He looked right at her and wiggled his eyebrows. She winked at him.  
  
"I want a good clean game." Madam Hooch said. She kicked open the Quidditch trunk and the bludgers flew out. Soon after the snitch's golden wings fluttered. Hooch threw up the quaffle and the game began.  
  
It was a tight match. About 20 minutes in, the score was 80 - 80. Suddenly, Draco saw the snitch floating by one of the goal posts. Harry saw him and quickly chased after. They were both pretty close, but the Thunderbolt was too fast for Harry's Firebolt. But right before Draco caught the little golden ball, something caught his attention.  
  
"Erin! Watch out!" Draco stopped and called out. Harry didn't see this, however. He caught the snitch and "GRYFFINDOR WINS!" was being blasted through the stadium. Erin had been moving forward, towards the Slytherin goal post. One of the opposing teams' beaters had just hit a bludger toward her, with a great amount of force. It was coming at her sideways.  
  
Before she noticed, the bludger hit her smack-dab on the back of the shoulder. A sickening crunch would have been heard, had the stadium been quiet. Even so, the noise died down when the crowd saw Erin rolling through the air, tumbling towards the ground. She hit the grass and turned over a few times before coming to a stop on the ground. The quaffle dropped to the ground with a light thud. A hush swallowed the stadium, and teachers began running toward her.  
  
Draco and Harry got there first. "Draco?" Erin asked sleepily when Draco looked at her from above.  
  
"Erin! Erin, are you ok?" He tenderly lifted her head while Harry folded his robes and used them as a pillow for her.  
  
"Me? I'm fine." She tried to get up; but this required putting weight on her shoulder. When she did so, she cried out in pain and fell back again. "Ok, so maybe I'm not."  
  
At this point, the rest of the teams had run up to the fallen girl. Pushing his luck, the Slytherin keeper, a boy named Jeremy, walked up to her. He was upset that the girl had scored so many points on him.  
  
"Does this hurt?" He poked her shoulder, hard. She screamed again and passed out. Before the Gryffindor team could beat him into a bloody pulp, Harry pulled out his wand, right next to Draco.  
  
"Don't touch her." They said in unison.  
  
"Erin, stay with me." Harry gently patted her face while Draco stroked and kissed the back of her hand.  
  
"Everyone, back!" Professor Snape said, rushing up to the blonde girl. He quickly conjured a stretcher and led her up to the hospital wing, Harry and Draco not far behind. But they were slowed down when Snape floated up the steps and they were left to climb them.  
  
They walked in silence up to the hospital wing, except when Draco said, more to himself than to Harry, "I hope she's alright."  
  
Harry replied, "I think she will be. Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a second. I just hope she doesn't have a concussion."  
  
"Was I talking to you, Potter? I think not."  
  
"God Malfoy. Do you have to be so hostile?"  
  
"Yes." Draco answered, sneering again. He flung open the door of the hospital and rushed up to the bed Erin was lying on. "Is she alright?" He asked. He stared down at Erin. She was still unconscious. Madam Pomfrey was removing the robes on Erin's shoulder.  
  
"She'll be fine. But she hit her head pretty hard." Pomfrey pointed her wand at the blonde's shoulder. She said a quiet incantation, then grabbed a bottle that was sitting on the table beside the bed. She began massaging it onto Erin's shoulder.  
  
"What is that?" Harry asked. He had been in the hospital wing many times before, with many different injuries, but he had never seen Madam Pomfrey do this previous to now.  
  
"It's a numbing agent, so she doesn't hurt so much during the night. Erin's bones are hard to heal."  
  
"Hard to heal? What do you mean, hard to heal?" Draco asked, looking down on Madam Pomfrey, who was a good 10 inches shorter than he. She was now putting the wounded arm and shoulder into a sling.  
  
"I mean, hard to heal. Check with her doctor if you want to know anything more about it. Now, she has to stay overnight, to make sure her concussion isn't too bad. Only one of you can stay."  
  
"I'll stay." The two guys said together. They glared, and heated expressions overcame their faces. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes and walked away. "I'll leave this to you two. Resolve it quickly, please. She needs to rest."  
  
"I'll stay, Malfoy."  
  
"I think not, Potter."  
  
"She's my chaser!" Harry shouted.  
  
"She's my girlfriend!" Draco shouted right back. Harry's face dropped. He had been thinking this was the case, but had hoped he was wrong.  
  
"What is all the commotion about?" Snape asked. He had heard the shouts from outside the wing.  
  
"Nothing, Professor. I was just leaving," Harry said, before sweeping out of the room.  
  
Snape raised a questioning eyebrow at the platinum-blonde man standing by the bed. "Take care of her, Draco." Snape gave a loving look toward Erin, who was breathing slowly on the bed.  
  
"Of course, sir." Draco wondered what the look was about. He brushed it off, however, and sat by the bed.  
  
After watching Erin sleep for a while, Draco had an idea. Dobby, the house elf, was still working at Hogwarts. Draco had never been overtly mean to Dobby, only when his father was around. He took off one of his socks and hastily wrote a note on a scrap of parchment in his pocket.  
  
"Erin- Be back soon. Yours, Draco." He quickly ran off toward the kitchens.  
  
After tickling the pear, he stepped inside to be greeted by a hundred house elves ready to get him food.  
  
"Dobby? Where are you?" Draco called out, looking over the elves' heads. The elf stood proudly by the fireplace.  
  
"You called for Dobby, Master Draco?" Dobby wrung his hands, remembering the punishments he would receive from Draco's father.  
  
"Yes, actually. Do you think you could get some things for me? You can have my sock..." Draco held it up. Dobby, however, paid no attention.  
  
"Of course, sir. Master Draco was always kind to Dobby, sir. Even when Master Malfoy wasn't."  
  
"Thank you Dobby. Now, here's what I'll need-"  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`  
  
When Erin woke up the next morning, she saw a mass of chocolates and candy on her bedside table. "What the --" She was cut off when she saw Draco's smiling face.  
  
"Do you like chocolate?"  
  
"Oh, Draco. That's so sweet. But, I'm allergic to chocolate!" Draco's face dropped.  
  
"You are?"  
  
Erin smiled again, showing all her teeth. "Nope. It's my favorite food. Thank you." She grabbed his neck and kissed him.  
  
"You've got to stop doing that."  
  
"What, kissing you?" Erin asked, her eyebrow high in the air.  
  
"No, keep doing that. You've got to stop tricking me." They laughed and Erin pulled open a package of Chocolate Frogs.  
  
"You know, I was terrified of these things for the longest time. My older sister told me that when you ate these, they stayed in your stomach and hopped around. She said that they would lay eggs and you would explode when they got too big."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Completely. After I learned that was a lie, I thought they were the things that put 'a frog in your throat.' " Draco laughed and grabbed a frog as it jumped out from the package.  
  
"I find it's best to squish them between your palms so that they won't jump away." He broke off the leg of the frog he was holding before eating it.  
  
Erin followed his advice the next time. To her dismay, she found her hands covered in chocolate.  
  
"Draco! I've got frog guts all over my fingers now! You lied to me!" She held up her hands in mock horror. They were, in fact, covered in the milk chocolate frog's 'guts'.  
  
"Now you know how I feel." He started laughing. She lightly touched his face, smearing the brown substance on his cheek. "HEY!" She smirked, then grabbed both sides of his head and smeared all over his face. He glared, then grabbed a package of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He started chucking them, one by one, at her.  
  
"OW!" Erin exclaimed when she moved her shoulder up to protect her face.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" Draco immediately put down the jelly beans.  
  
"My shoulder is still sore. So, uh, what exactly happened at the game?" She asked, lightly rubbing her hurt arm.  
  
"Oh, you all won. Potter caught the snitch right before me." Erin was trying to conceal her laughter- Draco looked hilarious with chocolate all over his face.  
  
"Aw, I'm sorry Draco." She wiped away a little of the chocolate by his eyes.  
  
"S'ok. I'm glad you got to experience a win at Hogwarts." He picked up a red jelly bean lying on the bedspread.  
  
"Oh. If you put it that way," she said. And then she did the weirdest thing. She started shaking her butt, and jerking back and forth.  
  
"What the hell was that?"  
  
"My victory dance."  
  
"Victory dance. Are you serious? Is that how you Americans dance?" He used his finger to wipe a bit of chocolate from his face and put it on the tip of her nose.  
  
"Some people. That's actually my mom's version of the victory dance. But mine is a little hard to do laid up in a hospital bed with a hurt shoulder. It requires a lot of jumping around. I'll show you sometime." She swiped two fingers across his cheek, accumulating quite a bit of the sweet substance. She brought her fingers to her mouth and licked it off. "Mmm...The perfect mix of chocolate and essence of Draco."  
  
Then a disgusted look crossed her face. "You did take a shower after the game, didn't you?"  
  
Draco smirked again. "Yeah, I did. Madam Pomfrey would've kicked me out had I not."  
  
She laughed, then leaned close to his face. She licked the chocolate off from around his lips then kissed him.  
  
Right then, Harry walked in. At first he only saw Draco's head, with chocolate all over. Then, as he turned the corner, he saw Erin kissing him softly. His heart dropped. [Damn. Why him?]  
  
"Erin?" Harry called, backing up a few steps. He didn't want them to know he'd been watching.  
  
Erin pulled away, and Draco whimpered a little. "Hush, you. Harry? Is that you? Come in," She answered back. Harry stepped to her bedside. "Nice job with the snitch!" She raised her hand for a high-five. Harry met it, and smiled.  
  
"Do you need something, Potter? Or are you just here to flirt?" Draco asked. Erin lightly swatted his arm.  
  
Harry ignored this comment. He wasn't about to be intimidated by a guy with melted chocolate all over his face. "The team sent over some flowers. And some candy." He handed them to the blonde girl on the bed. "What's on your nose?"  
  
"Oh, that's a bit of a chocolate frog. Thank you so much Harry. This means a lot."  
  
"Well, you're amazing. You played a great game." She smiled at him. Draco, however, was annoyed by this comment. He glared as well as he could, which was so good that he could make a grown man cry. Harry was used to it, though, so he just brushed it off and continued looking into Erin's blue eyes.  
  
"Thanks. I should be out of here by tomorrow morning."  
  
"I know. Madam Pomfrey told us. Well, I'll see you then. Hope you feel better soon." Harry walked out of the hospital wing.  
  
"Bye, Harry."  
  
"Why do you like that guy?" Draco asked after Harry had gone.  
  
"Draco, Draco, Draco. I have a motto. You should think about it sometime. You want to know what it is?" She asked. He shrugged, then nodded.  
  
"Why make an enemy when you can just as easily make a friend?" 


	4. Instant Messages

Well, I'm hurt. Nothing AGAIN? Luckily for you (well, maybe for me) there is a plot bunny stuck in my head. *hrumph*  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`  
  
On a Saturday in early November, Draco was taking a walk outside. There hadn't been any snow yet, which was strange for this time of year. [Whatever. Fine with me,] he thought, enjoying the crisp, cold air.  
  
As he sat down on the grass, he heard a faint sound coming from by the lake. It was high pitched, but seemed to be full of sadness. He listened for a while, absorbed in his thoughts.  
  
He pulled a letter out of his cloak. It had been brought to him early in the morning by a black owl that bit his hand when he tried to open it. He knew exactly who had sent it. Erin had just left. She drank his coffee, like every morning. He didn't mind, since he normally drank his cup before she arrived. When he didn't, though, he didn't get to have his sugary coffee. Pansy would always come and he never got to put any sugar in it.  
  
That morning, however, he paid no attention to Pansy. He just sighed and picked up the letter. Not feeling the need to be depressed that morning, he put it in his cloak.  
  
When he opened the letter that afternoon, he dreaded to see the contents. Draco recognized the long, spindely handwritting of his father, and began to read.  
  
*** Draco-  
  
I have heard you've made friends with the American girl at your school. Good. There will be a use for her later. I want you to stay at school this winter break. I have some urgent buisness to attend too, and your mother is coming with me. I believe you know what I am talking about. The date has been set. You must be ready by May 5.  
  
Happy Christmas,  
  
Lucius Malfoy *** Yes, Draco knew exactly what he was talking about. And he knew Lucius wasn't really wishing him a Happy Christmas. It was just a cover to make it seem as though he was a loving father. It meant nothing. But mostly, Draco was concerned for his mother. He knew what Lucius was capable off.  
  
He just sighed. After sitting for a few minutes, listening to the soft music playing, it piqued his curiosity. He stood up, brushed his behind in case there was dirt on it, and walked toward the lake. That was where the sound was coming from.  
  
Sure enough, he found something playing music. There was an enchanted flute, playing a soft melody he didn't recognize. It was sterling silver, and glittering in the sun. As he walked over the top of the hill, he saw a girl, with her arms wrapped around her knees, sitting on the grass. He recognized the blond hair right away. There was also a thin, silver box sitting next to her.  
  
He moved closer. Before he could say anything, however, he heard singing coming from the girl.  
  
"O'er the land of the free," the voice was choked with tears, "And the home, of the, brave."  
  
Now he remembered the tune. It was the American national anthem. [What was it called again? Oh yeah. The Star-Spangled Banner.]  
  
The girl sighed loudly, then picked up the notes sitting by her. When she did so, Draco noticed that her arms weren't covered. And he saw her legs. They were just as naked.  
  
"ERIN!" Draco yelled, running toward her. She whipped around, not knowing anyone was there. "What are you doing out here with shorts and a t-shirt on? You'll freeze to death." He took off his cloak and flung it over her shoulders.  
  
"Draco, I'm fine. What are you doing out here?" She shoved the black fabric off her shoulders.  
  
"Fine my ass. Your lips are blue." He put it back on her. This time she didn't pull it off, but she didn't acknowledge its existence.  
  
"I was eating a blue-rasberry BlowPop." She opened her mouth to show the inside. It was a deep blue, and there was a large piece of gum sitting on her tongue. "What are you doing out here?" She restated her question. This time she didn't say it angrily.  
  
"I was taking a walk, when I heard your flute. I came over to investigate." He smiled and jerked his thumb over to the flute. "Do you play, or just enchant it and pretend?"  
  
She laughed, then grabbed the flute from where it was floating in mid-air. "I can play ok. I just charmed it so I could do my work at the same time."  
  
"Will you play something for me?"  
  
She smiled again, before putting it to her lips. "Sure. I should warn you, I'm not very good. What should I play?"  
  
"Anything you want."  
  
She put the flute to her mouth, and shivered at the cold touch. She slowly began playing Greensleeves. Draco closed his eyes as he listened, remembering the song from his youth.  
  
When she finished, he spoke up. "You're amazing. You know, my mother used to play flute." A reminising expression came to his face.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup. She was pretty good. Not as good a you, though." Erin blushed at this comment. Her face was now bright red, a combination of the cold, playing her instrument, and the compliment she had received.  
  
"Yeah, she used to play it for me. She says it always calmed me down when I was crying."  
  
"Wait, you said used to. She doesn't anymore?" A dark look came to Draco's face.  
  
"No. Lucius doesn't like it. He destroyed her flute. It was made from sterling silver, so he melted it and made silverware." Draco's eyes were clouded with hatred.  
  
Erin reached out and stroked his hand. He cold fingers brought Draco out of his haze. "I'm sorry Draco. Your dad really isn't very nice."  
  
"You don't know the half of it." He laughed sardonicly.  
  
Before she could say anything, a muffled ding sounded. "What was that?" Draco asked, raisng an eyebrow. Erin picked up the box and flipped the top over.  
  
"Oh, it was one of my friends IM-ing me."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Oh yeah, you don't know about computers. Ok, this is a laptop. It is a computer, which is something Muggles use for all sorts of things...taxes, writing, communicating, research..."  
  
"And why do you have one?"  
  
"Because I have Muggles friends. That's why I got so upset when you called Hermione a mudblood. That is a really foul word, you know."  
  
Trying to avoid this subject, Draco asked, "So what is, what'd you say? IM- ing?"  
  
"Instant messaging. What happens is someone writes a message to me, and hits ok, and it is sent immediately to my computer. It's like typing your conversation." She typed a quick reply to her friend, then hit 'enter'.  
  
"See, my Muggle friends just think I'm studying abroad. And my old school wasn't a boarding school, so that was never a problem. You get it?"  
  
Draco nodded, and stared at the screen. He was staring so hard that when the next message popped up, he jumped back. "That's cool." Erin smiled and started typing again. Draco tried to keep up with their conversation, but it was hard because they were using so many shortenings.  
  
MagicGrl- so, what r u ^ 2?  
  
Inside Joke- n2m. u?  
  
MagicGrl- jus' talking w/ my friend  
  
Inside Joke- ooo...who?  
  
Inside Joke- is it that hottie u were talking about? Draco?  
  
Erin blushed deeply as this came up. Draco smiled and looked at her. "Hottie?"  
  
MagicGrl- it would do u good to shut up  
  
MagicGrl- he's reading over my shoulder  
  
Inside Joke- LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL  
  
MagicGrl- thats not funny  
  
Inside Joke- ur right, its hilarious  
  
MagicGrl- oh shut up! :-(  
  
"Can I do it?" Draco asked, still mesmerized by the screen. Erin shrugged and pushed it over onto his lap.  
  
"All you have to do is type your message, then hit this key." She showed him the enter button, and he nodded.  
  
Inside Joke- erin? where'd ya go?  
  
MagicGrl- this isn't erin  
  
Inside Joke- yeah, very funny. Not another one of your jokes, plz!  
  
MagicGrl- this is draco!  
  
Inside Joke- really? seriously?  
  
MagicGrl- yep. so what's your name?  
  
Inside Joke- alexa. can you send me a picture of yourself?  
  
Draco turned and looked at Erin. "Sure."  
  
MagicGrl- sure. just a minute.  
  
"You can send picture over this thing too?" He was throughly amazed.  
  
"Of course you can. Hand it back for a minute, will ya?" Draco gave it back and Erin typed in 'I'll send it now.' Moving quickly, she sent Alexa a picture she had saved onto the computer.  
  
MagicGrl- its a video file, alexa  
  
Inside Joke- even better!  
  
Inside Joke- I'm watching it now!  
  
There was a brief pause as the girl on the other end of the computers watched it. Luckily, Erin was able to take one of the magical photos she had of Draco and save it as a video.  
  
Inside Joke- *melt*  
  
Inside Joke- you weren't kidding. he's smokin!  
  
Draco grinned wildly. "She thinks I'm hot too, apparently."  
  
MagicGrl- thank you very much.  
  
Inside Joke- SHIT! i forgot you were still on! give it back 2 erin!  
  
He laughed and handed it back.  
  
MagicGrl- i told u he was hot  
  
MagicGrl- i gotta go. urgent buisness to take care of  
  
Inside Joke- yeah, sure. ttyl  
  
MagicGrl- bye  
  
She signed off and closed the top. "What exactly did you send her?"  
  
"A video file. Here, I'll show you." She opened the computer again and navigated to a folder titled 'Pictures'. As she did this, he realized that her desktop backround was a picture of people he didn't know.  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Them? Oh, they are my friends from back home." She began pointing out who was who. Then the file opened up and she showed him what had been sent overseas.  
  
"This is very cool. I guess those Muggles get along pretty well without magic, don't they?"  
  
Erin smiled and nodded. "Yeah, they do. And I can't believe I just heard a Malfoy say that."  
  
His brow furrowed. "What do you mean, here a Malfoy say that?"  
  
"Come on, Draco. Even in California, the Malfoy name is famous. Well, more appropriatly, infamous."  
  
"You've known about my family all along?"  
  
"Sort of...I knew who your dad was. He was constantly giving my dad hell for letting me become friends with Muggles. I knew he had a son."  
  
"Sorry about that." Seeing her questioning look, he elaborated. "For my dad, I mean. He's a real ass."  
  
"I know. Hey, let's go in. I'm getting cold."  
  
"Oh, so NOW you're cold. And when I came out you were just fine, even though you were shivering."  
  
"Oh, be quiet. I'm also quite tired, thank you very much. I didn't sleep too well last night," she said, getting up. Draco followed suit and picked up her laptop for her.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Oh, I've just had a lot on my mind. There are some things I need to deal with before long."  
  
"Care to elaborate on that?" Draco asked.  
  
"Nope. Sorry." She laughed at his frustrated expression. "Don't worry. It's not very important. It would just give you more to worry about. You seem a little pre-occupied yourself."  
  
"Yeah, well. Things have been kind of hard on me lately too."  
  
"Then lets just go in. You can go to bed, because that is what I'm planning on." The two smiled to each other and walked in silence. When it came time to part ways, Draco gave Erin a peck on the lips.  
  
"See you soon." 


	5. The Truth Comes out

A/N: Sorry for the long wait.....I kinda forgot this chapter was done. Thank you for the reviews. Jamie, I'm gonna try to make it to the thing. Do you have times?  
  
Disclaimer: *snort* Yeah, right.  
  
****  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in the common room, late at night, waiting for Sirius. At exactly midnight, the tall form of Sirius Black appeared in the fire. He stepped out and welcomed a hug from the three 7th years.  
  
"So glad to see you again Sirius," Ron said.  
  
"You too. How are things going?" He turned and asked Harry.  
  
"Ok, I guess. There's a new girl here. She's from America."  
  
"America, huh? That's strange. Why did she come?"  
  
"Honestly? We have no idea. She was on the Hogwarts Express September 1st, and was sorted into Gryffindor. She plays chaser on the team." Hermione answered. "She's alright. But a little too close to Malfoy, if I do say so myself."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She's dating him. There is a lot of lip-locking on their part." Ron spat out. It seemed as though he was still thoroughly disgusted by her.  
  
"A Malfoy? Does she have some mental problem?"  
  
"I really don't know. But otherwise, things have been pretty good." Harry quickly got off that subject. He began to relay the events of the year so far to his godfather.  
  
"It was hilarious! She slapped him straight across the face! His look was priceless." Hermione finished recounting the incident in potions earlier that year. They all had a good laugh, until footsteps were heard.  
  
Erin stood on the steps, hands on her hips. "Not to spoil your fun or anything, but some people are trying to-" She stopped as Sirius turned around. Her mouth dropped to the ground and Harry rushed up to her.  
  
She pointed a shaky finger at the man sitting on the couch. "Si-Sirius B- Black!" She almost yelled it out and Harry put his free hand over her mouth.  
  
"SHH! Calm down, will ya?"  
  
She looked at Harry as if he belonged in a nut house. "There is a murderer sitting in our common room. No, I will not calm down!"  
  
"Fine then." Hermione put a silencing spell on Erin, who was trying to break free of Harry and Ron's grip, to attack Sirius. Meanwhile, Sirius was watching, amused, waiting to see what would happen.  
  
"HEY!" She yelled, but it was barely a whisper. She glared daggers at the brunette that was sitting across from her, looking quite content. "Fine. Speak." She said. They looked at her, unsure whether or not to let her go. "I swear I won't yell. But this better be good." Hermione undid the spell and began.  
  
"I guess we should start by telling you that Sirius is innocent." Erin snorted. She mumbled something like 'Yeah right', but Sirius spoke before she could say much more.  
  
"I am. I was framed by a rat that was supposed to be my friend." He shot a look at her, which made Erin shrink back into the couch.  
  
"Exactly. As Hermione was saying," Harry began to tell the story of what had happened, Hermione and Ron filling in when they could. Erin was soon swept up in the story and was continually sending sideways glances at Sirius when something unbelieveable was mentioned.  
  
He took this time to study her closely. [Nothing out of the ordinary. There's something, though...but what?] He continued this practice the entire time. At one point, Erin conjured up a cup of steaming coffee with a sweep of her hand.  
  
The three were too caught up in telling the story to notice, but Sirius sure did. His eyes went wide, then shrunk in understanding, a wide grin spreading across his face. He watched her until the story was finished.  
  
"So, he's completely innocent. Except for the whole breaking and entering thing." Ron ended.  
  
"Wow. That's amazing." She turned and looked at him. He had a strange expression on his face, a mixture of amusement and that 'i-know-something- you-don't-know' look.  
  
"What?" She asked, suddenly getting nervous. That was when the other noticed the coffee cup.  
  
"Hey, where did you get the coffee from?"  
  
"I know." Sirius spoke up. Erin's face paled, and her eyes looked like a deer in the headlights.  
  
"You're an ovardus." Erin dropped her cup, and it spilled on the floor.  
  
"Ovardus? I don't know what y-your talking about." Erin said in fake curiousity.  
  
"You know precisely what I'm talking about. You're an ovardus." Seeing the puzzled look on Ron and Harry's faces, he elaborated. "An ovardus is someone that has so much magical power that they're dangerous to themselves and others.. They don't need wands."  
  
Hermione spoke up, brows furrowed. "Ovarduses are really rare, though. I've seen most of the professors at this school do magic without a wand. They can't all be ovardus."  
  
"Yes, many witches and wizards can do small magic without wands. But I'm talking powerful stuff. Like conjuring a patronus without a wand." Harry, Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped open. They knew how hard it was to conjure patronuses even with a wand.  
  
With that, Sirius reached into Erin's pocket and pulled out her wand. He preformed, or tried to preform, a number of simple spells. "This isn't a wand. It's just a stick." He broke it in half to prove this. It was true, there was no special center.  
  
Erin was now staring at her hands. "Th-that's why I came here. I-I'm protected when Dumbledore is here. With You-know-who in power, it's not safe for me."  
  
"What do you mean, not safe?"  
  
"Normally, you can't take a witch or wizard's power. But since an ovardus has such an abundance, you can. You can even turn a Muggle into a wizard, if you do it right. But....the process to take it..." Erin trailed off. She shivered.  
  
"Is?" Harry asked, waiting.  
  
"Is terrible. It requires draining the blood from their veins. And taking the breath from their lungs." Erin answered. At this point she burst into tears. And was making a lot of noise doing so.  
  
"Shh, Shhh. It's ok Erin." Sirius tried to comfort her. "The only thing that can do this is the Eye of Drakonus, and it's been missing for over a hundred years." He looked incredibly uncomfortable. She was crying into his chest, and her arms were wrapped around his neck. He silently mouthed 'help' to the three people standing around him.  
  
The sobs were reduced to soft whimpers and she wiped her eyes.  
  
"But that's just it. It's been found. My father told me. But before the Ministry could destroy it, it was stolen."  
  
"So? If they don't have it, no one can use it, right?" Ron said.  
  
Hermione sighed. "No, Ron. If someone from the dark side has it, then they could use it to get You-know-who back in power."  
  
Sirius put his head in his hands. "I guess I'l have to go look for it, see if I can bring it back."  
  
"No, don't do that! You could get caught! All the Ministry wizards are looking for it now," Erin said.  
  
"Wait, but why does it have to be you? There must be another ovardus or whatever around." Harry said.  
  
"Yeah, I wish. I'm the only one. The last one died a few months ago. That's why I came to Hogwarts."  
  
Suddenly a noise was heard from upstairs. Soft footsteps and mumbling. Sirius jumped up, and jumped into the fire.  
  
"I'll owl you all if I find something. Stay Safe." He quickly disappeared.  
  
"Well, that's definitely an eye opener."  
  
********************************************************************  
  
The next morning, Draco and Erin were sitting at the Slytherin table, Erin drinking Draco's coffee.  
  
"Hey Draco?"  
  
"Yeah?" He asked, taking a bite of eggs.  
  
"What do you want to do?" She asked.  
  
"Do? I dunno, I have Quidditch practice later today."  
  
"No, I mean when you get out."  
  
"Out? Of?" He asked, giving her a questioning look. Erin sighed.  
  
"School, stupid! What do you want to do with your life?" She set the cup down, exasperated.  
  
"OH! I don't know. I've never really thought about it before." He looked really thoughtful. "What do you want to do?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking about being a slacker before, but now I think I want to be a detective. Solve crimes." She waited for his answer.  
  
"Solve crimes, huh? What made you choose that career?"  
  
"Well, I've heard that a lot of people in Azkaban never got a trial. I don't think that's fair. In fact, it's against the law back home. Unconstitutional."  
  
Before Draco could answer, a large owl flew in and dropped a package on his plate, mashing his toast. "What the-" He didn't recognize the owl, nor the handwriting on the package.  
  
Shrugging, he pulled the twine and ripped off the brown paper. There was a note sitting on the top. 'To Draco.' Now he remembered the script. It was his mother's.  
  
He opened the package and pulled out a spectacular knife. It had a black curved handle, and a series of cuts in the blade. It was curved as well, and looked like the head of a dragon.  
  
He ran is finger along the silver blade. It had an extremly sharp edge, and cut his finger. He put it in his mouth to suck up the blood.  
  
Erin was admiring the knife as well, although she didn't touch it. It was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. The blade was obviously made by someone with a lot of magical power. It glinted in the sunlight that was pouring in from the windows.  
  
Draco picked up the box and looked inside. He inverted it, and a small piece of parchment fell out. On it, there was an inscription.  
  
"The Eye of Drakonus," Draco read out loud. The mug Erin was holding dropped to the ground and shattered on the floor. Her face paled.  
  
"Erin? Are you ok?" She was now shaking from head to toe. When he went to touch her shoulder, trying to give comfort, she wrenched it away from him. Without a word, the girl ran out of the Great Hall and out of sight.  
  
Everyone had seen this, and Harry looked about ready to murder Draco. Before he could move, Hermione saw the knife still sitting on the table. He eyes went wide.  
  
"Oh my god, that's it!!" She said to Ron and Harry. She got up, grabbed Draco by the arm, who took up the blade. She dragged him out, Harry and Ron not far behind.  
  
"Let go of me, Granger! I never asked you to touch me." She continued dragging him until they were outside of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Shut up Malfoy. Just shut up. We have to see Dumbledore now."  
  
The four entered Dumbledore's office to find Erin sitting in a chair with her head in her hands. The old Professor was in a similar postion.  
  
He looked up and saw the knife in Draco's hands.  
  
"We need to talk, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
***  
  
Ok, this chapter is done. Please R&R! 


End file.
